Glutelin basic subunits have a mammalian mucin-type O-linked disaccharide side chain.

Characterization was done on the sugar chains of glutelin, a major storage protein in rice seeds. The basic subunits of glutelin were shown to be glycoproteins by staining with PAS and the lectins concanavalin A (Con A) and peanut agglutinin (PNA). The binding of PNA to the basic subunits was substantially reduced by treatment of the glutelin with NaIO4, NaOH, or O-glycanase. The sugar chains of the subunits, obtained by hydrazinolysis and O-glycanase, were pyridylaminated and subjected to 2-dimensional HPLC analysis using C(18) and acrylamide-derivatized columns. It was found that the Galbeta-1,3GalNAc disaccharide, which was previously identified as a core 1 structure of mucin-type sugar chains, is conjugated to the glutelin subunits. Furthermore, amino acid sequencing of an 11-kDa peptide of the subunits, recognized by both PNA and Con A, suggested that both N-linked and O-linked glycosylation occurs in the carboxy-terminal region of these subunits. Copyright 1999 Academic Press.